Aya El Jerbi
English A1SL
Mr. Bowe
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Reading Response Journal – Oedipus the King
Text (Quote, word, action/event)
a. Oedipus the confident, caring leader
Response
159-167
1."Here I am myself – you all know me, Oedipus's confident, arrogant and even selfthe world knows my fame; I am
centered personality is portrayed in this quote.
Oedipus." –Oedipus (pg 159; lines 7-9) He talks to his people while standing behind an
Alter, like a God, symbolizing the power that he
possesses. The difference in levels between
Oedipus and the citizens, kneeling on the ground
praying, is a symbol for the difference in power
and status found in the Ancient Greek society;
whereby the polarity between the powerful and
the weak is emphasized. VERY IMPRESSIVE
LANGUAGE SKILL HERE!
Oedipus refers to himself as "Me, myself and I"
often, not only in this quote but throughout the
entire play, which highlights his egotistical and
shallow nature. It is clear that Oedipus is proud
of whom he is and this is re-emphasized when he
says "I am Oedipus". The sentence is short and
concise which adds to the power of this rather
kingly line.
It can be argued that Oedipus's confidence is a
result of solving the Sphinx riddle which saved
the lives of the citizens of Thebes. He, along with
the citizens, believes that if he was able to solve
the Sphinx riddle then he must be able to do
anything else, which includes ending the plague.
This betrays certain arrogance of Oedipus
towards his abilities and power. It is this
unpleasant arrogance of his, or hubris, which
eventually leads to his downfall. GOOD
KNOWLEDGE OF PLAY AND GREEK TERMS
2. Helping a Priest to his feet.
In contradiction to the last quote, here
Oedipus seems to be the ideal king, revealing his
"You can trust me. I am ready to help, intelligence, responsibility and energy. Oedipus
expresses his sympathy and concern about the
I'll do anything. I would be blind to
problems that face Thebes. He sets an image of
misery not to pity my people kneeling
himself being an idealistic caring, compassionate
at my feet." –Oedipus (pg 150; lines 13and noble leader which is contrasting to his earlier
15)
charismatic character. GOOD POINTS
Oedipus seems to adopt the approach that
'actions speak louder than words' as he helps the
priest to his feet. This same approach is also seen
later when he announces that he has already sent his
brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle in an effort to
end the plague. This shows that it isn't only talk,
Oedipus is physically taking action towards lifting
the plague. This incident also seemed to say that
Oedipus doesn't need anyone to tell him what to do.
He takes actions on his own when he sees necessary
which indicates some degree of independent
leadership skills. VERY INSIGHTFUL!
Two very different sides of Oedipus are
revealed in this first scene of the play, one being
heroic and the other being self-centered and
egoistical. He has demonstrated qualities of both a
proficient and a deficient leader. However, even
though his personality is split, he does seem to
genuinely strive for the overall benefit of the
citizens. This is what leads the people to think very
highly of him, to view him as a prosperous,
respected leader and to refer to him as Oedipus the
'great'. WELL SUMMARIZED. THIS IS A
PLEASURE TO READ – SUCH EFFICIENT AND
ELEGANT PROSE!
3. Oedipus character flaws vs.
character qualities
At this point in the play, we notice a quality of
Oedipus' which lies in his openness when dealing
with his people. He seems to dislike hiding things
from them. In fact, he portrays himself as being
transparent with nothing to hide, insisting that
Creon reveals the news he brings publicly rather
than in a secretive manner. This allows the people
to feel more secure in the plagued circumstance.
This honest behavior is another reason why Oedipus
is viewed as an audacious leader in the eyes of the
Theban people. EXCELLENT POINT –
ORIGINAL!
Sophocles brings out these numerous qualities in
Oedipus to lead us to be fond of him and his
leadership. This is important for the play to be
considered a tragedy because we, as audience, must
have some degree of liking for the character to be
able to later pity him and hence for his downfall to
be considered a tragedy. YES, QUITE TRUE
At this stage in the play, I begin to question if
Oedipus' flaws are more important than his
qualities. Sophocles seems to focus more on
Oedipus' qualities rather than his flaws. His flaws
are built up throughout the play and lead to his
eventual downfall while his qualities do not
seem to progress at all. THEY WILL AT END OF
PLAY! This is probably done on purpose in the
intent to heighten the dramatic value of the play.
Another reason why Sophocles might have
explicitly decided to progress the character's
flaws throughout the play is so that the plot is
kept believable and credible by the audience. It
is part of human nature that we go on hiding our
flaws revealing only our qualities until we
stumble and lose control over our self conscious
image. Hence, it can be argued that Oedipus so
far has maintained a rather fake and deceiving
personality allowing his qualities to be more
apparent than his hidden flaws. I AGREE. WELL
SAID (IF A BIT WORDY HERE)
4. “But once he returns, then, then I'll
Oedipus immediately swears to take action to
be a traitor if I do not do all the god
find the murderer and act like a hero to save the
makes clear." –Oedipus (pg 162; lines
city. This appears to be in the best interest of the
88-9)
citizens as a whole. We see that he is determined
to do anything possible to save his city.
“Whoever killed the king may decide
to kill me too, with the same violent
hand - by avenging Laius I defend
myself." –Oedipus (pg 167;lines 158-9)
NICE ORGANIZATION OF QUOTE! I LIKE
THE BOLD
Contrastingly in the second quote Oedipus seems
to be acting in the interest of saving his own life
rather than the lives of the general society.
Ironically, even though it appears to Oedipus that
perseverance to find the murderer is in his own
interest, he is actually acting outside of it since
the killer happens to be himself. It is highly ironic
that Oedipus is oblivious to the truths that
surround him. GOOD POINT
Foreshadowing - Oedipus
foreshadows how difficult it will
be to find the killer when he
says, "Where to find it now, the
trail of the ancient guilt so hard
to trace?". He knows that it is
not an easy path to solve the
mystery yet he sustains his
determination.
Personification - "And
black Death luxuriates in
the raw, wailing miseries
of Thebes." – (pg 160;
lines 37-8). Here,
personification of death
reveals how it has
appeared everywhere in
the city. Though figurative,
the vivid description
invokes images in the
audiences minds of the
awful state the city is in
allowing them to relate to
the play.
Metaphor - "Drive the
corruption from the land." –
Creon (pg166; line108) Sophocles in this quote
refers to both the literal
plague that affects the city as
well as Oedipus himself that
is metaphorically the
'corruption' within it.
Literary
features
Simile - Oedipus maintains
hope when he says "Lord
Apollo, let him come with a
lucky word of rescue, shining
like his eyes!". In these lines,
Oedipus uses a simile which
shows hope for an idea to
rescue the city.
Allusions - There is a lot of
reference to religion, and we
see exactly how big the role it
plays in the lives of the
citizens. "You freed us from
the Sphinx…A god was with
you." (pg 161; line 44) The
Priest says to Oedipus that a
'God' was with him when he
defeated the Sphinx. This
goes in contrast with the
events that take place later in
the play as we see that the
Gods where perhaps spitted
by Oedipus using him for
entertainment purposes.
MOST IMPRESSIVE ORGANIZATION AND IDEAS! WONDERFUL ADDITION TO
JOURNAL
b. The role of the Chorus
168-170
1. "What now, what is your price? Some
The Chorus seems to be extremely anxious
new sacrifice? Some ancient rite from the about the price of deliverance, the "sacrifice"
past come round again each spring?"they will be demanded by the Gods. This
Chorus (pg 168; lines74-6)
anxiety continues the dramatic irony begun in
the first scene, foreshadowing the tragedy's
climax, the downfall of Oedipus. YES, WELL
THOUGHT OUT
The chorus shows how the different Gods
are being summoned for help by the people of
Thebes and how each God was believed to have
a certain area of command. It presents the gods
in a glorified manner of them smiting the evil.
This is exactly how the gods were viewed in the
eyes of the Ancient Greek's. Throughout the
Chorus we see the importance of religion in the
daily lives of the Greek's. They looked to the
gods for an answer that provides them with
hope.
Even though the citizens were hopeful they
were also fearful and this is made clear
throughout the entire deliverance but
especially when they say "Racked with terror –
terror shakes my heart." (page 168) GOOD
REFERENCE TO QUOTE WORDS
2."Thebes like a great army dying and
The main theme of the chorus is the death
there is no sword of thought to save us, and destruction of the city.
no and the fruits of our famous earth,
Thebes is compared to a great army dying.
they will not ripen no and the women
This simile used helps emphasize the horrible
cannot scream their pangs to birth"-conditions the city is suffering from. The
Chorus (pg 169; lines 95-7)
chorus vividly describes these conditions as it
talks about how the earth no longer bears
fruits, and women can no longer give birth.
This accentuates the severity of the situation
while also reflecting the fear of the Theban
citizens. The chorus highlights that they believe
that there is no plan for rescue, "no sword of
thought to save us". This seems to say that they
are defenseless. It also suggests that the people
of Thebes do not believe in Oedipus as much as
they appear to. A VALID CONCLUSION
3. Role of the Chorus
The chorus seems to play the role of the
narrator. It summaries what has happened,
questions things, and provokes the audience. It
tells the audience what the people of Thebes
thinks while also mirroring the reactions of the
actual audience. In my opinion, this role is
rather interesting. Even though, it does not
seem to add much to the plot and only
elaborates on what happened it is extremely
effective. Sophocles uses repetition for effect
which works well because it highlights exactly
what is important in the events. It also helps
me understand how the audience at the time
would have reacted and it broadens the view
and perspective on the events. I enjoy reading
the Chorus' line as they are highly poetic and
dramatic. They make you wonder and raise
questions about the concept behind the Greek
Gods. How credible are these Gods? Did they
decide Oedipus' fate? If they did, then on what
basis? How did they decide his destiny? Was it
chosen randomly? Did they enjoy seeing
Thebes suffer? If not, could they have decided
on a different fate for Oedipus' and therefore
avoided the need for a plague? EXCELLENT
QUESTIONS! BEST TO BREAK UP THE TEXT
FOR EASIER READABILITY
Imagery - The chorus is graphically detailed, filled with imagery,
visualizing the people of Thebes undergoing these morbid
circumstances. This allows the audience to envision this city crying out
in pain and grief, again amplifying the severity of the situation. The
chorus is also filled with imagery of the gods fighting the god of death
in order to save the city - "Burn the god of death that all gods hate!"
– Chorus (pg 170; lines 244)
Symbolisim/Irony/Oxymoron
- "What word from the gold
vaults of Delphi comes to
brilliant Thebes?" – Chorus
(pg 168; lines 70-1)The gold
vaults represent the hope that
the citizens have for the
triumph of their city. They are
described as 'gold' suggesting
that they are valuable to the
citizens of Thebes. It is ironic
how they still describe Thebes
as being 'brilliant', because it
is so opposing to the extent
that it is nearly an oxymoron.
Simile – "You watch them go
like seabirds winging west,
outracing the day's fire."-Chorus (pg 169, lines 200-1).
The dead are compared to
these seabirds, revealing just
how many of them are dying
"outracing the day's fire".
Literary
features
Personification – "Thebes is
dying" – Chorus (pg 205; line
205) - The city of Thebes is
personified to indicate that it is
now completely in ruins. In some
occasions death itself is
personified. By doing this
Thebes' problems suddenly
become a person, something
they can fight or kill.
Repetition -"Death so many
deaths, numberless deaths
on deaths, no end-" – (pg
169; line 204) Repetition of
the word 'death' throughout
the chorus emphasizes the
severity of the plague. It helps
depict how the City of Thebes
is gradually transforming into
the City of Death. Another use
of repetition by Sophocles is
found in the repeated cries for
help from the Gods
throughout the duration of
the Chorus. This indicates
how important the Gods were
and how much power they
had over events that
happened.
Mood - It is important
that the chorus
maintains a sad aura
and mood to continue
driving sympathy out
of both the gods and
the audience.
LOVE THESE PAGES! I’LL HAVE TO KEEP YOUR JOURNAL AS AN EXCELLENT
MODEL NEXT YEAR!
c. Oedipus from nobleman to accused
171-181
1. "You pray to the gods? Let me grant
your prayers. Come, listen to me – do
what the plague demands: you'll find
relief and lift your head from the
This quote shows that Oedipus thinks very
highly of himself and believes that he is worthy
of his peoples trust. He is telling the people that
he will do what the gods will not. This would
depths." – Oedipus (pg 171; lines 245-7)
spite the gods, since he is assuming authority that
normally belongs to them. Yet the people accept
this language from their king. This is because the
gods don't seem to give them aid so their only
hope now is in Oedipus. VALID POINT!
2. "How terrible- to see the truth when
In this quote Tiresias, the blind prophet,
the truth is only pain to him who sees!" implies that seeing the truth only brings one
--Tiresias (pg 176; lines 359-60)
pain. He is not able to share the ugly truth
with Oedipus because of how ashamed he
feels acknowledging that their own king is the
murderer. When he does finally speak,
Oedipus gets fueled and in turn accuses him of
the murder when he asserts, "You helped
hatch the plot, you did the work, yes, short of
killing him with your own hands…" Naturally,
because of his anger, Oedipus went into a
state of denial and cursed Tiresias. Yet
Oedipus is not quick to blame himself for the
plague. Instead he tries to place the burden onto
others which brings out his qualities as a
deficient leader. YES, EXCELLENT
SUMMARY
Here, Oedipus continues to act in denial.
3. “You've lost your power, stone-blind,
stone-deaf- senses, eyes blind as stone!"
It is highly ironic that Oedipus is accusing
–Oedipus (pg 181; lines 422-3)
Tiresias of the very character traits in himself
that are causing the accusations in the first place.
GOOD POINT Through the repetition of his
senses being "stone" Oedipus' cold and
emotionless nature is highlighted. We also see
the continuous metaphor that Sophocles employs
throughout the entire play – sight vs. blindness.
Though Tiresias is physically blind, he sees the
truth, and is in fact the only person that does. On
the other hand, Oedipus, who has physical
eyesight, is blind to his fate and the truths that
surround him. QUITE TRUE! The text is trying
to build the notion that truth is only visible
completely to those who do not use their eyes.
OR USE EYES TO “SEE” DEEPER TRUTHS
THAN THE PHYSICAL WORLD REVEALS
Diction - Throughout the beginning of this section Oedipus
speaks powerfully and poetically with a strong use of diction.
However, his growing anger soon starts to reflect on his
speech. He begins to stumble over words which distrupts the
flow of his lines. This is important as it indicates that Oedipus
is acting defensless to direct the blame away from him.
Repetition – "Rescue
yourself, your city,
rescue me – rescue
everything infected by
the dead." The
repetition of the word
'rescue' here is used for
effect. It highlights the
extent the city of Thebes
was in need for rescue.
Literary
features
Figurative Speech - "So I beg you, grudge us
nothing now, no voice, no message plucked
from the birds, the embers or the other mantic
ways within your grasp." -Oedipus has a
rhetorical style of speech in these lines as he
addresses Tiresias. We see the contrast in the
change of Oedipus' style of speech after
Tireseas accuses him. He speeks using the
same figurative language but instead of
praising him he mocks him instead.
Foreshadowing - "I curse
myself as well...may the
curse I just called down on
him strike me!" - In these
lines Oedipus foreshadows
his own tragic fate. The curse
will infact strike him in the
end and he could have
avoided that if he hadn't
called upon it to begin with.
Irony - Oedipus says "So I
will fight for him as if he
were my father" – This line
is highly ironic because as
audience we know that
Lauis is in fact his father
but he doesn't know it.
FANTASTIC HOW YOU SHOW THE LITERARY FEATURES IN USE – WITH
EFFECTS!
d. Oedipus reveals character flaws
182-187
1. "So, you mock my blindness? Let me
tell you this. You with your precious
eyes, you're blind to the corruption of
your life" – Tiresias (pg 183; lines 46971)
Oedipus continues to taunt Tiresias for his
blindness. However, Tiresias, biting that he is,
responds to Oedipus using the same metaphor,
mocking him for his eyesight and brilliance. It is
Oedipus' intelligence that made him King, yet it is
his intelligence as well that causes him to doubt
and insult Tiresias. ISN’T OED. SHOWING
LACK OF INTELLIGENCE HERE? IT IS
TIRESIUS WHO IS THE MORE INTELLIGENT
Tiresias foreshadows Oedipus' tragic fate
saying that "No man will ever be rooted from the
earth as brutally as you." He reveals the entire
truth for the first time but Oedipus refuses to hear
or rather acknowledge it. He only hears what he
wants to hear ignoring anything that goes against
what he believes happened.
2. Confident expedience another flaw?
In this section, Oedipus’s quick thinking
ability begins to work against him. When Oedipus
first met Tiresias he says to him "Blind as you are,
you can feel all the more". Oedipus praises him
saying that even though he is blind, he can see the
truth, and can "feel all the more". However, he
then calls Tiresias a “scum from the earth” and
soon after that accuses him of treason. Because of
his short temper, Oedipus makes judgments and
comes to conclusions way too quickly. ANGER
PROBLEM, DEFINITELY
It seems that the things Oedipus says and does
are so exaggerated almost to the point that it's like
he's tempting fate and the Gods. AN
EXCELLENT POINT He insults Tireasias in a
very ruthless and rude way when he says "Come
here you pious fraud. Tell me, when did you ever
prove yourself a prophet?" It is at this point that I
lost any shred of sympathy I had for Oedipus. He
is so insecure and paranoid after hearing what
Tireseas said that he starts accusing the most loyal
people in his life. He makes assumptions without
any evidence which is another character flaw of
Oedipus'. Perhaps, however, his most important
character flaw is his excessive pride. Sophocles
seems to imply that all these flaws work together,
alongside fate, to bring about Oedipus' downfall.
YES, THE INTRO TO PLAY ALL SHOW US
VARIOUS FORMS OF THIS HUBRIS IN OED.
The Chorus seems terrified and helpless in this
3. "Never will I convict my king, never
section. Like Oedipus, the Chorus cannot believe
in my heart." -- Chorus (pg 187; lines
the truth of what Tiresias has said. They are
571-2)
confronted with two options accepting the word of
the Prophet or staying loyal to their King. There
decision to side with Oedipus strikes me as being
odd since that would mean that the Chorus has
more faith in Oedipus than the prophet of the
Gods.
The line is expressing that even though there
might be doubt, the Chorus believe their king with
all of their heart. Even though at the moment there
is nothing proving that Oedipus is guilty other
then the prophet's word, there is also nothing
proving that he is innocent either.
Oedipus believes himself to be above the
gods. This can be seen, for example, when he
belittles them saying "Not a word, you and your
birds, your gods – nothing." NOTE THE “YOUR”
IN YOUR GODS! It seemed to me as though the
Greek's feared the Gods up until now where
Oedipus degrades and challenges them. This is
very daring especially since they believed that all
power was in the hands of the Gods.
Foreshadowing - A lot of
what Tiresias says
foreshadows Oedipus' tragic
fate. He talks mystically and
in riddles when he says
"This day will bring your
birth and your destruction."
Sophocles saved his best
writing in Tireseas since his
lines are uniquely poetic. He
ends his speech addressed
to Oedipus strongly with
these two lines: "And if you
find I've lied from this day
onward call the prophet
blind." He ends the lines as
couplets to sustain the unity
and strength of the message
he gives to Oedipus.
e. Oedipus vs. Creon
Oxymoron - Sophocles
incorporates an oxymoron in
Tiresias' lines when he says "Your
great fortune, true, it was your
ruin." (pg 184; line 503) Tiresias
highlights that it is because of
Oedipus' state now that he later
suffers a demise.
Literary
features
Events & Dramatic Irony The plot itself is used by
Sophocles to evoke fear and
pity in the audience. His
biggest tool is the knowledge
that the audience already has
about Oedipus. They know
that he killed his father and
married his mother but
Oedipus doesn't This is
important so that the
audience feels connected
with the play. If they felt no
emotional connection then
the play would not be tragic.
188-198
Oedipus, after having already blamed Tireseas,
1. "I see it all, the marauding thief
himself scheming to steal my crown and accuses Creon of trying to overthrow him. He
power!" --Oedipus (pg 189; lines 597-8) continues to jump into conclusions too quickly
because of his uncontrollable fury and temper.
This behavior is not practical and could easily
have caused misconviction of the murder multiple
times already. Instead of taking things calmly he
acts irrational which goes against the
characteristics of a strong leader. TRUE – I
AGREE
Creon is wise in the sense that he has a wicked
2. "Look, if you think crude, mindless
stubbornness such a gift, you've lost your way of manipulating words. IS HE TALKING
sense of balance." --Creon (pg 190; lines DIRECTLY OR SLYLY? He obviously isn't at
fault because he isn't acting defenseless. He
615-6)
doesn't seem worried at all as he calmly says,
"Time alone can bring the just man to light – the
criminal you can spot in one short day." (pg 194;
lines 690-1). Creon defends himself with logic
which suggests a strong personality on his behalf.
He sounds convincing as he gives many rational
reasons as to why he is not the killer. We see that
unlike Oedipus, Creon thinks sensibly when he
could otherwise act out of rage. A REAL
LEADER – KEEPS HIS HEAD WHEN ALL
OTHERS ARE LOSING THEIRS!
3. Oedipus Character Flaws vs. Creon
Character Qualities
Oedipus acts irrationally threatening to kill
Creon on a thought that he has absolutely no
proof. He is portrayed as a dictator and this is
especially clear, for example, when he says "No
matter – I must rule" (pg 195; line 703). He
believes that he must rule even if he rules unjustly.
This makes us lose sympathy for him as we see his
selfish and power hungry side. His pride and anger
has blinded his judgment ability as he now
considers everything a threat to him. YES,
THIS IS OEDIPUS’ LOW POINT – PARANOID,
IRRATIONAL, IMPULSIVE, DEFENSIVE ETC.
Creon in this section has outshined Oedipus
showing traits of a secretive, professional
politician. We see that Creon and Oedipus are very
much different in character. While Oedipus is
keen on finding the truth Creon is happy to
dissemble. It can be argued that Creon is more
fitting for a leader than Oedipus is. This goes in
correspondence with the events that later takes
place in the play as we find that Creon does in fact
take over Oedipus' position as King. YES, GOOD
FORESHADOWING THERE (BUT CREON IS
A MUCH MORE POLISHED, LESS HUMAN
LEADER THAN OEDIPUS. NOT NEARLY AS
BELOVED BY PEOPLE!
f. The mother-wife Jocasta
199-210
1. "No skill in the world, nothing human Jocasta, Oedipus's wife, seems to have a firm
can penetrate the future." –Jocasta (pg belief in that no human can tell the future; that
201; lines 781-2)
psychics do not exist. Here we see that indeed the
'apple did not fall far from the tree'. Jocasta just
like Oedipus' makes decisions based on no
evidence whatsoever. However, even though they
are much alike, they do differ in the sense that
Jocasta is skeptic while Oedipus is insistent on
finding the truth. DOES SHE BELIEVE IN
GODS?
Oedipus logically and earnestly pursues the
2."I can hold nothing back from you,
truth after having "reached this pitch of dark
now I've reached this pitch of dark
foreboding." –Oedipus (pg 205; lines 846- foreboding". His search becomes more productive
50)
as he starts to calm down. He begins to pick up on
important details that might help him with his
investigation. "I thought I heard you say that Laius
was cut down at a place where three roads meet."
(pg 202; lines 804-5) We see that he quickly seizes
upon an important detail that Laius was slain at a
place where three roads meet. A crossroads is a
universal symbol known for the moment where
decisions and choices are made. Linking this with
the play, the crossroads symbolizes the crucial
moment when Oedipus began to fulfill the
dreadful prophecy. GOOD LIT TERM USE He
had three roads ahead of him and he chose the one
that lead to misery. However, Oedipus was not
aware at the time that he was making a fateful
decision. Therefore, the crossroads here can also
symbolize the power of prophecies YES,
POWERFUL SYMBOL OF FATE/CHANGE
Was it Oedipus that chose his own direction or
was it fate that chose it for him? If life really is
controlled by fate then should Oedipus be held
responsible for his choice if it was already
predetermined? Perhaps Sophocles is trying to say
that all the seemingly free choices we make in life
are really already chosen for us by a higher power.
3. "Pride breeds the tyrant violent pride,
Contrastingly to previous lines, the Chorus
gorging, crammed to bursting with all
now describes Oedipus as being a tyrant gorging
that is overripe and rich with ruin.... " – in his pride. A lot of negative imagery is created
Chorus (pg 209; lines 963-982)
which reflects the disgust that the Chorus is
feeling towards their King. Sophocles uses an
"overripe" fruit as a metaphor for Oedipus'
excessive pride. This highlights that Oedipus
was greedy to the extent that he was never
satisfied with what he had. No matter how high
he reached in status and power, he always
wanted more. The Chorus questions "Can such
a man, so desperate, still boast he can save his
life from the flashing bolts of god?" (pg 210;
lines 981-4) The Chorus now seems more
believable to me as they reveal their belief in
oracles and in the Gods who control people's
destiny. GREAT USE OF LITERARY
FEATURES.
g. The last hope extinguished
211-224
1. Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all
chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man
on earth can see a day ahead, groping
through the dark. Better to live at
random, best we can. And as for this
marriage with your mother—have no
fear. Many a man before you, in his
dreams, has shared his mother’s bed.
Take such things for shadows, nothing at
all— Live, Oedipus, as if there’s no
tomorrow! – Jocasta (pg 215; lines 1068–
1078)
This passage is highly dramatic because Jocasta
treats incest extremely lightly. She claims that
“chance rules our lives” and that Oedipus should
live “as if there’s no tomorrow”.
It is clear that Jocasta does not fully believe in
what she says. This is because if she really
believed that oracles are nonsense she would not
have abandoned her own son, Oedipus, in the
mountains in attempt to avoid it. Hence, she is
portrayed as being hypocritical since she believes
in oracles only when it suits her. EXCELLENT
UNDERSTANDING
However, Jocasta seems to say these things to
curb Oedipus' fear. Her intent is to give advice to
Oedipus on how to get along in this world. We see
Jocasta's supportive nature in that she gives both
advice and comfort to Oedipus when he most
needs it. This is a role that woman, even in our
modern world, often fall into because of their
nurturing nature. Jocasta seems to be extremely
mother-like in her lines and especially when she
says "No, please – for your sake- I want the best
for you!".She speaks like any mother wanting the
best for her son. But in fact what she wants is
against what is the best for him. It can be argued
that Jocasta wants Oedipus to stop searching for
the truth to protect herself. "Stop – in the name of
god, if you love your own life, call of this search!
My suffering is enough." (pg 222, lines 1166)
Jocasta wanted Oedipus to terminate his search so
she does not suffer further and is not publicly
humiliated. NEED TO BREAK UP THESE
LONG PASSAGES FOR EFFECTIVE
READING
2. "And you got your name from that
Oedipus gets his name from the fact that he was
left in the mountains with his ankles pinned
misfortune too, the name is still with
you." – Messenger (pg 220; lines 1135-6) together. This incident left him with a vivid scar
for the rest of his life. He was named after this
injury since his name Oedipus literally means
"swollen feet" in Greek. This symbolizes the way
in which fate has marked and distinguished him. It
also symbolizes the irony of Oedipus and Jocasta's
ignorance towards the truth that surrounded them.
Oedipus injured foot (FEET) was so obvious to
the extent that it is impossible that, Oedipus who
solved the riddle of Sphinx, could not put two
together to figure out the truth of his birth. His
name alone blatantly points attention to his scarred
feet, which could have given away his identity.
DID HE GET LUCKY WITH SPHINX? It is also
an easy clue to Jocasta who could have tied
Oedipus' name with her son. However, both
Oedipus and Jocasta chose not to acknowledge the
obvious truths and pretend not to see them. A
GOOD OBSERVATION This seems to be the
easy option, but perhaps if they had acknowledged
the truth earlier they would not be suffering from
such pain and misery now.
3. Listen to you? No more. I must know it This line seems to suggest that Jocasta had
all, must see the truth at last."-- Oedipus the power in her relationship with Oedipus.
(pg 222; lines 1170-1)
Since she was older and wiser it is not unlikely
that she had the say in how things were
governed. But Oedipus now says "Listen to you?
No more." It is almost as though he is fed up of
being directed by her that he wants to have his
way for once. OR HIS STUBBORNNESS IS NOW
TURNED TOWARDS THE TRUTH OF HIS
LIFE/FATE
Even though Jocasta appears to be the voice of
reason she cannot sway Oedipus to stop pursuing
the truth. This may suggest that in the end men
had their say over women in the Greek society.
However, Sophocles was restrained by the
outcome of the argument because if Jocasta was
able to convince Oedipus to stop searching for the
truth there would not have been a tragedy that
unfolds. BUT THE TRAGEDY OF THEBES
WOULD CONTINUE!
h. The tragedy unfolds
225-232
Oedipus treats his search to learn about his birth
1."So, you won't talk willingly – then
you'll talk with pain." –Oedipus (pg 228; parents like a riddle, asking the shepherd endless
amounts of questions. We see that he is willing to
lines 1266-7)
do anything to find out the truth and that includes
resorting to extreme measures of violence. He
threatens the Shepherd with torture "Twist his
arms out quickly!" This comes in sharp contrast to
the caring and compassionate Oedipus that we see
at the beginning of the play. Perhaps, however, his
character was forced to change due to the
vindictive circumstances he was put in. GOOD
UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHARACTER
2. Motives behind Jocasta killing herself There were many motives behind Jocasta's
suicide. The most obvious motive is incest which
directly brings about her suicide. Other motives
are that Jocasta cannot live without an honorable
place in society, which is why she married
Oedipus to begin with. She was happiest when
she married Oedipus but when she found she
had married her son, it destroyed her social
standing so she had to kill herself. YES,
ALTHOUGH HER PERSONAL LIFE WAS IN
RUINS AS WELL
She also committed suicide because of how
miserable she became. Who can live with
themselves after knowing they have slept with
their own son? It is not unexpected that Jocasta
looks to suicide for an answer because even
today people who are extremely unhappy
sometimes choose suicide as a way of ending
their misery.
Jocasta can be seen as having some heroic
qualities because she was dealing with a very
difficult and unusual situation. This results in
the audience feeling sympathetic towards her.
But had she chosen to live she might have
received even more sympathy. However, being
the proud person she is, Jocasta preferred
death then to live in humiliation forever. GOOD
CONTRAST TO OEDIPUS – HE PREFERS HARD
WAY OUT – LIFE LONG PUNISHMENT!
4. "O god-all come true, all burst to light! When Oedipus discovers the truth he says that
O light-now let me look my last on you! I he can now see and declares that it is revealed by
stand revealed at last-cursed in my birth, "the light". It is almost as though he has
cursed in marriage, cursed in the lives I surrendered to his pride, to his fate and to the
cut down with these hands!" – Oedipus
(pg 232; lines 1306-10)
Gods. The word "cursed" is repeated to emphasize
that he has been cursed by his own doing. He
finally admits that he was under the control of the
Gods and realizes that the prophecy could not
have been escaped. The Shepherd assures Oedipus
what he suspected is true and tells him "Believe
me, you were born for pain." (pg 232; line 1305)
This shows that the god had planned Oedipus' life
from the moment of birth to be one of pain and
misery and nothing he might have done could
have changed that.
i. Oedipus accepts his curse
233-end
1. "You, you'll see no more the pain I
suffered, all the pain I caused! Too long
you looked on the ones you never should
have seen, blind to the ones you longed to
see, to know! Blind from this hour on!
Blind in the darkness-blind!" --Oedipus
(pg 237; lines 1405-9)
It is as though Oedipus is punishing himself for
what he has done. He brings on himself his own
humiliation. As soon as Oedipus gorges GOUGES
his eyes out he becomes a blind and helpless
outcast. Personally, I believe that Oedipus cannot
be blamed entirely for what has happened to him
because his sins were involuntary. I feel
empathetic towards him because of the fact that he
wasn't aware of what he was doing and was
merely a victim of fate. GOOD PERSONAL
CONNECTION TO TEXT. He screams in agony
these heartfelt lines, defending his decision to
humble himself through blindness, furthering
Sophocles' sight metaphor. Oedipus thinks that the
pain will be less now that he cannot see. However,
blinding himself caused him even more pain. He
continues to defend his action questioning "What
good were eyes to me? Nothing I could see could
bring me joy." (pg 241;lines 1471-3)
2. "What god, what god power leapt
beyond all bounds, beyond belief, to
crush your wretched life? – godforsaken,
cursed by the gods!" – Chorus (pg
239;lines 1435-7)
This quote clearly reiterates the running idea
throughout the play that humans have no
power in face of the gods. Oedipus seems to
have always been damned and no matter how
hard he tried to avoid his fate it eventually
came back to haunt him.
The chorus questions Oedipus saying "What
superhuman power drove you on?" (pg 240;lines
1466) It seems as though the chorus thought that
Oedipus could not have done such horrible things
without the drive of a greater power. Not only did
the Chorus realize this, but so did Oedipus. This is
clear when he says "It's mine alone, my destiny – I
am Oedipus!" (pg 242;line 1497) Here, Oedipus
repeats the line that he said in the opening of the
play. It seems to imply that Oedipus' pride
continued right from the beginning to the end of
the play. YES INDEED, ALTHOUGH THE
EARLIER PRIDE SEEMS
IRONIC/SUPERFICIAL COMPARED TO THE
TERRIBLE TRUTH OF WHO HE HIS AT END
OF PLAY
Oedipus is no longer fighting for his destiny but
is now just letting it take its course. This is clear
when he screams "Well let my destiny come and
take me on its way!" He obviously did not expect
his destiny to turn out the way it did and this is
clear when he says "My destiny, my dark power,
what a leap you made!"(pg 239;line 1448) He out
of all men was at the top of the social hierarchy at
the time and thought that nothing could bring him
down. Perhaps the Gods chose such a horrible fate
for Oedipus because they wanted to dent his rather
inflated ego. QUITE POSSIBLY THAT IS
SOPHOCLES’ MESSAGE! The Gods had to take
action because Oedipus was seen as a threat to
them. The people started believing in Kings more
than they did in Gods. It seems as though
Sophocles wanted to frighten the audience to make
them go back to believing in Gods and obeying
them. He set Oedipus as an example to those who
dare challenge the Gods and fight their fate.
3. "Oh no, what can I say to him? How
can I ever hope to win his trust? I
wronged him so, just now, in every way.
You must see that-I was so wrong, so
wrong." – Oedipus (pg 244; lines 1553-6)
Oedipus' attitude toward Creon seems
dramatically altered and the opposite is also true.
Oedipus now fears Creon while Creon now
belittles Oedipus. Creon's short lines in this
section demonstrate how eager he is to exile
Oedipus out of the city. Even though, earlier in the
play, Creon sounded extremely convincing when
he told Oedipus that he had no intention of taking
his title as King we see that he actually desires it
above all. The fact that Creon was able to hide his
greed so cleverly suggests that he rightly fits the
position of the King.
4. "Now what a black sea of terror has
These words, spoken by the Chorus, end the
overwhelmed him…count no man happy play powerfully. It seems to discomfort the
till he dies, free of pain at last." –Chorus audience telling them to take Oedipus as an
(pg 251;line 1684)
example of a man who fell because he rose too
high. An example of a man that others should not
follow in his footsteps. YES –A CAUTIONARY
TALE TOLD IN EPIC PROPORTIONS!
The Chorus also seems to deliver the message
that no man should be counted happy until he dies
because only then would he have escaped his fate.
This makes me question whether this is true or
not. Is the world that horrible? Are we all living in
pain? GOOD QUESTIONS! Oedipus himself can
be viewed as a symbol for all of humanity that is
lost in this dark world. There are many questions
out there that are left unanswered but we must
seek answers within ourselves. We can't continue
living our lives in agony until we die. We must be
cautious but most importantly remain humble. We
learn from what happened to Oedipus that we are
relatively powerless before fate or the Gods so it
would be much easier to surrender and accept fate
than to fight it till we die. A VERY NICE
PERSONAL SUMMARY TO PLAY
AYA, THIS IS SIMPLY FANTASTIC. I REALLY ENJOYED
READING YOUR IDEAS, YOUR PERSONAL
OPINIONS/REACTIONS/PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE PLAY. YOU SEEM
TO HAVE GOT A LOT OF INSPIRATION FROM THE PLAY TO WRITE
IN SUCH DETAIL. THE LITERARY TERM USE WAS GREAT AS WELL,
EXEMPLARY IN FACT (ESPECIALLY EARLY SECTIONS WITH THOSE
COLORED TABLES OF LITERARY FEATURES AND EFFECTS). A
GREAT EFFORT AND SUPERB UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT – ON
A PERSONAL AND LITERARY LEVEL. WELL DONE.